How to Feast on Your Favorites Without the Guilt

Watching what you eat? No worries. You can have your turkey and your stuffing, too––not to mention mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and even a little dessert. By making a few modifications, you can reduce fat and calories during Thanksgiving without noticing much of a difference.

Here’s how.

Don’t go hungry. For starters, make sure you have a healthy breakfast. If you skip it, you’ll be more likely to overeat later and consume more calories in the long run.

Separate the bird and the stuffing. Cook stuffing in a dish by itself instead of inside the turkey where fat drippings add significantly to the calorie count. Also, prepare it with barley instead of bread for a high-fiber, whole grain alternative.

Make it yourself. Cranberries are full of antioxidants, but the canned kind is packed with sugar and calories. Try making your own cranberry sauce by mashing fresh cranberries with a splash of balsamic vinegar or apple juice concentrate.

Get the skinny on mashed potatoes. Trade heavy cream for whole milk in mashed potato recipes to keep the creamy taste while cutting fat. Also, use potatoes with a naturally creamy consistency, like Yukon Golds and Russets.

Skip the skin. Contrary to popular belief, dark meat really isn’t that much higher in calories than light meat––only about nine calories more per ounce. Eat whichever meat you want, but avoid the skin since that has the most fat. You’ll save more than 50 calories and six grams of fat per serving.

Snack on whole foods. Veggie crudités with a low fat dip or a platter of fresh fruit adds fiber to your meal, helping fill you up without adding fat.